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Attention is Filtered

One of the most renowned marketers in the world Seth Godin says, “smart companies abandon worry and embrace change”. This post is inspired by some of his thoughts on marketing:

People see right through fake. It melts away instantly (along with your money). Everyone in every type of business needs to be a marketer these days. From the sandwich guy down two floors to the kids trying to differentiate themselves by selling Kool-Aid rather than lemonade. As a result, a lot more bad marketing is contaminating the air.

There’s no rulebook to great marketing. In fact, the greatest marketers are the ones who take the supposed “rulebook” and toss it out the window (or probably something more unique like light it on fire or cut it up into an art piece). However, as difficult as it is, marketing is a necessary component of every business.

Marketers think that the more they can get their messages across, the better—bus ads, bench ads, banner ads, and any other obnoxious placement that will get, let’s face it, ignored. Interruption marketing rarely works (unless you’re showcasing puppies or babies).

Anymore, you have to ask to access consumers. You have to put your offer on the table and leave it there, hopefully wafting temptingly in their direction so they want to examine it closer. Attention is filtered. You have to earn trust before consumers are willing to listen.

So, how do you get heard? By being consistently remarkable.

We know that’s a tall order, but just look at companies that have managed to do it. The first one that comes to our mind is Apple. They have people literally lining up at their doors when they release a product. Why? Because they never disappoint. And they’re unpredictable. Their innovations are worth sharing. People get amped up over a leaked phone schematic as if it were dirt on the President. And it’s not. Often times it’s a simple scribble left accidentally on a bar napkin by some tired Apple Genius. But nevertheless, it spreads. Apple is trusted. People know that, when their new products are finally released, it won’t be average.

And Apple has swagger. They know that they’re excellent at what they do. And how do consumers respond? By trusting them more. Confidence is an indication of quality. Because consumers aren’t dumb. And they know that marketers won’t boast a product unless it can stand up against the competition. Swagger without substance will result in a permanent loss of clients.